


Of Innocence and Guilt

by WitchyBitchParker



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angry Sex, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, F/F, F/M, Good Draco Malfoy, Jury trial, M/M, One-Sided Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Original Character(s), Trans Blaise Zabini, Trans Male Character, spite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:02:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26977066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchyBitchParker/pseuds/WitchyBitchParker
Summary: “Miss Malfoy. Please take a seat” the man instructed and she followed his demand, gliding into the seat gracefully. Head held high. Expressionless face, not allowing a single person to even guess what she was feeling-Draco Malfoy's sister faces trial for her actions as a death eater and recounts her time at Hogwarts, the good, the bad and the dirty. Of being the family reject and trying to protect her brother from Voldemort no matter what.-More tags will be added as the story goes on
Relationships: Blaise Zabini/Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Blaise Zabini, Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Pansy Parkinson/Original Female Character(s), Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. Every story must begin somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> So. I never thought this fic would end up as long as it did.  
> Draco Malfoy has a twin sister. This fic follows her during her trial for her crimes as she tells the story of her time at Hogwarts and her time as a death eater.  
> I really hope you like it  
> TW: Non-descriptive child abuse

“Miss Malfoy. Please take a seat” the man instructed and she followed his demand, gliding into the seat gracefully. Head held high. Expressionless face, not allowing a single person to even guess what she was feeling “Can you confirm your name, age and date of birth for the Wizengamot please”  
“My name is Cassiopeia Narcissa Malfoy. I commonly go by Cass Black. I am 18 years of age and my birthday is the fifth of June 1980. I would appreciate to be referred to as Cass or Miss Black through this trial if I may make this demand” the warlock nodded much to her surprise.  
“Very well, miss Black. You insisted on testifying under the influence of Veritaserum administered by the ministry. Is that correct?” she nodded  
“Yes sir. It is.”  
“Why is that, Miss Black?” he asked as she was presented with a teacup which was likely to be containing the serum though it looked like a regular cup of English breakfast tea with milk. Certainly inferior to green tea but she really was not picky.  
“Because I feel as though the truth seems unbelievable. I am the reason my brother is an innocent man with a clear conscience. I ought to make it known how that happened.”  
“Very well Miss Black. You may drink the tea now which contains the serum.”  
She nodded swiftly and sought out the eyes of Narcissa and - Draco. Neither of them was meeting her gaze.  
She gulped down the liquid to get it over with and felt her mind beginning to tingle, a bit similar to the feeling of being drunk and wanting to shout out the truth so people would finally understand.  
“Please Miss Black. Enlighten us. Why you insist on being innocent”  
“Chief Warlock sir, honourable Wizegamot. The progression of events is very quite long. Somehow it all started in year one at Hogwarts.”  
~  
“Come on Draco just one more round” she laughed challengingly as she eyed him up and down, his cheeks were glowing red, his forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat and platinum blonde pieces of his usually gelled back hair was sticking against his face. He was panting but she recognized the familiar spark, he hated being challenged.  
“Fine. Just the one” he huffed as he stepped back next to his Broomstick, commanding it up, ready to mount it as he shot her a look.  
“I can’t wait to beat you for the seeker position next year” he was purposefully fueling her ambition and she could not help but let the smirk fade into a wider smile as she tightened her ponytail.  
“You wish” she pushed herself off of the ground and began hovering, copying Draco as he shot her the kind of look that made it known he was out for a win and nothing else. But so was she, and she was not about to let him beat her and be a smug bastard about it.  
“3…” she began  
“2…” he continued already leaning forward with a smug grin on his face, stupid git  
“1…” she said  
“GO” they shouted simultaneously and thus the race began. For the fifth time that afternoon alone. The warm summer air was piercing her skin as she tried to best Draco as they rushed around the perimeters of the Malfoy property. Her eyes were tearing in the way that made her feel alive, as trees and bushes were a mere passing speck beneath her and the sky was her limit. Warm tears were rolling down her cheeks from the wind which became colder and more uncomfortable the longer she flew but it was the kind of pain that reminded her she was alive and she was winning. This was her victory.  
It was maybe another fifty meters and she was certain of winning as air encapsulated her body and made her feel like gravity was just a hoax to stop them from freedom. The true freedom, like the eagles and ravens that sometimes painted the sky in mystery. All the birds that made their own way without being bound by mundane concepts like roads and borders. 

“I win. That makes it three to two. Suck it” she laughed without any breath to spare in her lunges, slowly calming down from the high of flying as she picked up her broom from the grass to lean on it for support. Her legs were vibrating and she was breathing hard, attempting to inhale more oxygen with each breath taken.”  
“Fine. You win,” he muttered offended at the idea of having lost to her, her of all people.  
“I know” she laughed, still looking down at the grass and by that her shoes as she regained control of her breathing. Her shoes were black. Shiny and black. Or they used to be anyway. Now they were covered in mud and grass, not unlike Draco’s shoes. She would have one of the elves clean them.  
“Draco. Cassiopeia. Are you still racing?” their mother called from the wide glass door that lead from the small living room out into the wide garden.  
“No mother. But I did beat him” Cassiopeia shouted back loud enough for Narcissa to hear who had a soft smile on her usually hard and stern face, letting her teeth blink through the red lipstick she wore every sodding day. No matter the occasion or whether there would be guests or whether they would leave the house. It was always the same shade of red. 

“Come on in now. You ought to get ready for the Parkinson's visit,” she instructed and she could feel her body being pulled back down. From the high and free feeling to the grounding reality that it was an unobtainable wish.  
“Yes, mother” they replied in perfect sync as she shot Draco a look of boredom and hate. Not directed towards him, but towards the situation, he looked no happier than she felt as Draco snapped his fingers to order one of the house-elves to clean their broomsticks and have them brought to the storage room. The challenging and ambitious smirk long gone, a memory as though it had never been real, never been an expression he could produce as her feet felt unnaturally heavy with every step she took towards the manor. Towards reality. With all its gravity and roads and stop signs and boundaries.  
Stupid world. Stupid rules. Stupid Pansy. Stupid everything. 

“You promised mother” she yelled on the verge of tears as Draco tried to calm her down, Narcissa looked unbothered whilst Lucius looked utterly furious.  
“Cassiopeia Narcissa Malfoy that is quite enough of this” he snapped, making a point by stomping down his cane to the floor and the sound echoed through the room like a glooming warning, usually it was enough for him to use that voice and she would back down, but this was different. This was about integrity, something she had been raised to have. Something her parents should have but obviously did not.  
“Oh shut up Lucius” she screamed at her father who looked not only disgusted but also taken aback by the brashness of her words, as though he had bitten into a lemon as he attempted to understand where precisely she had learned that expression, conveniently forgetting that it had been he who had told her countless of times to do exactly that. “You promised” she shouted at her mother once again who remained as unfazed by the scene as she had previously been, taking a sip from the delicate porcelain teacup, leaving a bright red lipstick stain against the fragile white material as she lowered it again. Resting it on the porcelain coaster with the same intricate flower design that seemed to wind its way around the rim in a never-ending attempt to escape from the confinement of the material.  
“How noble. Oh Cassiopeia, you are of the noble house of black. How truly noble of you, mother” these words finally made Narcissa flinch ever so slightly and the grip on her cup and the coaster tightened an almost unnoticeable amount, but her body was tensed now as Lucius shot his wife an exhausted look.  
“Cassiopeia behave yourself” Lucius growled losing his, as per usual, very thin spread patience with his daughter who looked up at the man towering over her as though he could hurt her no matter how and she would not quit.  
“Oh but I am behaving myself father. It is mother who is stepping out of line” she had seen the strike coming. The pain came immediately and it stung, her tears felt odd against the hot stinging sensation as blood rushed into her left cheek. But she held her head high and stopped herself from touching where he had struck her.  
“My point remains.” she persisted but it was a battle long lost. 

They went to Diagon alley without Narcissa and Draco was keeping his head down whilst his father looked ready to practice Imperio or Crucio again. Cassiopeia was sporting a similar expression to that of her father, a deep scowl that obscured her features, with furrowed eyebrows and her lips pulled into a sneer that would make any witch or wizard their age quiver in fear of her, regardless of the name.  
“I will go with Draco to have his measurements taken. I trust you to go to Magical Menagerie in the meantime and pick an appropriate pet. Afterwards, you will have your measurements taken and Draco gets to pick. Can I trust you not to do anything stupid” his voice was cutting like a gust of wind in mid-winter in the highlands. Cold and sharp, painful and yet something one had to get used to.  
“Of course father” she replied and swiftly left Draco with Lucius as she weaselled her way through the masses to the pet shop, muttering under her breath ‘How could I do anything stupid when you are taking all the stupid with you’ people were not so nice and forgiving with a child attempting to get through as they were when Lucius Malfoy towered by her side, but she coped just fine, dodging elbows and other libs in general. The crowd was dense, everyone was doing their shopping for Hogwarts and getting bits and bops, reasonable of course since it was a rather lovely day, warm and sunny but not unbearably hot, though the crowd made it feel suffocating.  
Gratefully she stepped into the shop and was immediately overwhelmed, not only by the noises that were coming from all directions, meows, chirps, barks and various other animalistic sounds she did not quite know how to classify. The small was an entirely different thing as it was not unpleasant, just different. It smelled of fur and pet food, treats and pellets. A truly strange scent that settled into her nose as she wandered through the shop, promptly bumping into someone as she could simply not take her eyes of a kitten which looked at her from big yellow eyes.  
“Sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going” she immediately apologized profusely “The kitten is just too cute” she added sheepishly before looking up, meeting warm brown eyes of a woman with ginger hair and clothing that looked like it was patchworked from a variety of alternative robes. She had the kindest eyes and smile Cassiopeia had ever seen and she radiated motherly love with her every movement.  
“Not to worry dear.” she smiled kindly “Are you here all by yourself?” she may have attempted to vanish the concern from her voice but she could simply not and it broke Cassiopeia’s heart into pieces that this stranger cared more about her than her own father. Or her own mother.  
“My father’ in her head she added ‘that insufferable bastard’ ‘is prioritizing my lovely brother over me. I am certain he will find me shortly” the woman who was shockingly not too much taller than she was herself looked not only taken aback but also appalled by the way in which Cassiopeia had just shrugged off that statement  
“Oh dear, will you be ok by yours-” she was interrupted by a ginger boy who looked about the same age as she was, with the same ginger hair like his mother but surprisingly striking light blue eyes.  
“There you are mum” he pointed out as though it had been the discovery of the year and she looked at her son fondly as Cassiopeia just stood bye, green with envy, wishing she had something like that.  
“You are welcoming to roam around with us” the woman offered kindly and genuinely but Cassiopeia rose her hands in a denying gesture  
“As much as I appreciate your kindness I am certain my father would not be pleased- but it was lovely meeting you” she added sadly as she turned on her heel, desperate to find a different aisle. Fortunately for her, the rushed exit had lead her straight to the owls and there were so many. She was lost at the number of young animals looking back at her from intelligent eyes. One struck her though, it had pitch-black eyes, looking at her like they were piercing her soul. The owl’s feathers were black and white in almost a striped pattern though the head was mostly black, only accentuated through a bright yellow beak. It was adorable in a rather terrifying way if she thought about it but her heart was set. 

Her father did not need to announce himself, she could feel the cold oozing off of him like a dark spirit clawing its way into her neck as soon as he stood behind her.  
“This one, father.” she simply stated and pointed at the mostly black owl. There was no room for negotiation in her voice, nor was there any uncertainty which was something her father could appreciate and nodded swiftly.  
“Very well.” 

“Remember the rules?” Lucius asked sternly and they nodded in sync.  
“Don’t befriend mudbloods” Cassiopeia spat  
“Seek pureblood alliances” Draco added  
“Excel in class” she supplied  
“Stay away from the blood traitors,” he said  
“Get sorted into Slytherin!” they completed together  
She was hoping to hear, ‘make us proud’ or ‘we will be proud regardless’ but instead she was confronted with the harsh truth.  
“Don’t you dare disappoint us!”


	2. the sorting

She was about to follow Draco to his compartment when she saw a familiar redhead just outside, shooting Draco an apologetic look she quickly explained she had to say hi to someone and rushed back out of the express to the familiar ginger who was standing with his siblings and a strange boy with black hair and crooked glasses.   
“Oh, you again” the woman smiled softly, looking around for her parents, as she had last time, only to realize they had evidently already left.   
“Hi” she grinned and turned to Ron “I’m Cassiopeia by the way. We will be in the same year” she sent him a beaming smile which he reciprocated shily as he took her hand.   
“How rude of me, I never really introduced myself to everyone” she realized and hot embarrassment rose in her cheeks “But yea, my name is Cassiopeia but you can call me Cass,” she said a bit uncomfortably. Her mother had taught her better than that. What a failure.   
“I’m Ron” blue eyes supplied helpfully,   
“Fred” one of the taller boys added and his identical twin said “George” not even a second later   
“Percy,” the seemingly oldest of the children said and a younger girl chimed in, supplying that her name was Ginny. Crooked glasses said his name was Harry.   
“We are Molly and Arthur” the woman completed.   
Oh. Weasleys. She should have figured that out earlier. Memories of her father speaking ill of the seemingly loving family sat in the back of her throat like bile, burning her from the inside out.   
“Well, my brother is probably wondering where I have run off too but it was so nice to see you again” she grinned before rushing off again, feeling wrong and sick. Like she had committed a terrible crime. It was not that her father’s rules mattered to her, or like she wanted to follow them but it was an unfortunate truth that she wanted to impress her parents regardless.  
It felt wrong but yet disliking the Weasleys seemed so wrong. They seemed like such genuine and lovely people and she had to dislike them just because? Something was not adding up in her head and it caused her a mind splitting migraine as she slid back into her seat next to Draco who looked mildly irritated but asked no further questions.   
Pansy, Gregory, Theo and Vincent joined them soon enough, and four of them were quickly involved in an intense discussion about professional quidditch that quickly fell back to blood purity rules at Hogwarts. She sat quietly and listened as her mother had taught her, sit, listen, nod. Your opinion is not always needed. Show respect. Be polite.   
Don’t disappoint me. The rules were floating through her heads, irritating dragons that were spewing fire at everything they saw, burning her mind and heart whilst they were at it.   
Nobody seemed to notice her sliding out of the compartment as she made her way down the train with no clear goal in mind. She was certain that she would not find anything interesting but yet she had experienced the strong urge to just walk around, look into the different compartments, see who else she would encounter during her time at Hogwarts and who might be housemates or classmates. Thoughts were tugging at her focus on setting her feet forward in a straight line across the dark blue carpet. It was odd, how the encounter had shaken her up, of course, she had always loved picking fights with her parents, loved riling them up and making them angry, seeing how far they were willing to go, how much power her words had. And of course, she never wanted to be the poster child but with Draco next to her, the snarky, well-behaved angel if he wanted to be, who always knew when to shut up and when to speak, how to avoid the cane who would only let go when he felt safe, it was difficult to let go of the expectations. She would never hear the end of it ‘Draco is so much better this’ and ‘Draco can follow simple instructions, which apparently is beyond you’ that. She was competitive, always had been, between her and Draco it has always been the question of who was smarter, faster, better. And now they had simple rules to follow and she did not want to lose. Did not want to be the disappointment. Not that she wished for Draco to be that but she wanted to know they were both respected, and both did well. Draco knew the answers to everything- he could never fail his parents. She felt unsure as to whether the same thing was true for her.  
“Hey- blondie” a voice said and she saw fingers snapping in front of her eyes   
“Bloody hell. Thought you were possessed” the boy with dark skin and excitedly sparkling brown eyes said as he looked her up and down. “You have been standing in front of these doors for a solid minute without moving”   
“Oh. Sorry” she breathed as she attempted to regain her full grip on reality   
“No harm done, I am Blaise” he smiled softly which, in turn, put a smile on her face   
“Cassiopeia, nice to meet you,” she said and tilted her head to the side ever so slightly “Who is that?” she asked curiously, vaguely gesturing to the small bundle of fur in the boy’s arm.   
“Oh, that’s toffee” he beamed, evidently excited about his kitten. His fur was light cream coloured though his paws had a distinct dark brown colour which made her guess that, once he woke up he would turn out to be a Siamese cat which clearly was the superior type of cat.   
“Do you have a pet with you?” he asked as he walked back into the compartment and she simply followed, seeing how it seemed to be the best idea at the time   
“Yea, and owl, her name is âme” she replied proudly   
“Cool” Blaise grinned, softly stroking the fur of his kitten before he seemed to remember there was someone else in the compartment with him “So which house are you hoping for?” he quizzed and she shrugged slightly uncomfortably   
“My entire family has been in Slytherin so I suppose that.” she eventually came up with “you?” he shrugged with a sly smirk on his lips   
“Same for my family, I am hoping for Ravenclaw though”   
“Wouldn’t your family mind?” she asked surprised and he just shook his head like she had asked the most stupid question in the world   
“Of course not, my mother really couldn’t care less, she would not even care were I a Hufflepuff” his tone was genuine and soft, light, a bit like a sponge cake.  
“Oh, that must be” the words a relief almost fell off of the tip of her tongue when they were interrupted by turmoil outside   
“You guy are fucking disgusting” one of the older boys laughed, his words were harsh but it was dripping in humour. The door to the compartment was opened revealing one of the Weasleys, a brown haired boy with soft Hazel eyes and a guy with black hair and piercing ocean eyes. The one who had jumped out had hair the colour of wet sand with confusing brown eyes that were like a kaleidoscope, with specs of light brown and green peppered all throughout.   
“Come on Eliot” the black-haired guy laughed “You are scaring the first years.” he made a swift motion towards Cass and Blaise who were watching the entire scene unfold which was shrugged off by the sand haired boy who shot him an evil look before shooting back   
“Well, you three are traumatizing me.” Percy laughed and it made the faces of the other two guys light up in a way that made it seem as though they did not see Percy laugh much   
“Come get back in here now, we’ll stop it,” the one with the black hair said diplomatically which seemed to resolve the scene.

“What do you think that was about?” she asked confused which was commentated with a small shrug   
“I honestly have the absolute certainty that I have no desire to know.” which seemed like a very fair assumption to make on his part if she was being entirely honest. They remained in the compartment enjoying each others company and having light conversation about banalities like which colour was superior and which Hogwarts house, objectively, had the best aesthetic. It was enjoyable and she did not care who he was, what his blood was because she found herself snorting at stupid theories and laughing out loud. It was not political and neither was it serious. It was fun and she enjoyed that about Blaise. 

“Oh, there you are” Draco commented when she rejoined the group, already in uniform and he shot her a concerned look which she deflected by averting her gaze and remaining quiet for the rest of the train ride as her brother got twirled back into a conversation about blood purity, another one. Did those pretentious bastards have nothing else to talk about, she wondered as they finally arrived. 

Imagine the shock on Draco’s face when she ended up standing with Ron, Harry and Blaise rather than him, Pansy, Theo and the goons.   
“So it’s true then, what they were saying on the train, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts” Draco sneered, looking at Ron with disgust that made Cas cringe on the inside and she felt sick at the scene that was about to unfold before her very eyes, with nothing that could be done. She had to pick sides. Far too soon.   
“This is Theo and Pansy, and I am Malfoy, Draco Malfoy” he stretched out his hand as Ron snorted which put a sly grin on Cass’ face, her brother that dramatic little idiot really had a flair for the- unnecessary drama.   
“Think my name is funny, do you?” Draco snapped at Ron and Cass sighed out loud, bracing herself for the absolute stupidity that was her decision   
“Red hair and a -” she stepped between the two, managing to step on her brother’s foot in the process   
“Shut up Draco, he was laughing because you are pretentious and Dramatic” he stared at her with betrayal in his eyes that struck her in the heart but enough humour to make her not feel bad. Maybe he felt like she had abandoned him the second she had gotten the chance, and that was far from true and he probably knew that. What she had abandoned was her blind trust in her parents for the truth.   
“You will soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to be making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there” Draco finished as he stretched out his hand, hoping for Harry to shake it. Hoping to find a friend outside of the prescribed circle that their parents had given them. But he was going about it all wrong.  
“I think I can tell the wrong sorts for myself, thanks” Harry replied smugly which put a slight smile on Cass’ face as Draco looked at her for defence.   
“His lack of social skills is not his fault, forgive him,” she said, not breaking eye contact with her brother which earned a laugh from both Ron and Harry as well as some of the bystanders   
“How do you know him then?” Ron quizzed, through body language alone excluding anyone other than Blaise and Harry out of their conversation.   
“Oh, that would be my twin brother”  
“You’re a Malfoy” Ron said accusatorily and she shrugged, pushing a strand of long white-blonde hair behind her left ear   
“So what if I am. Just because the name matches doesn’t mean the ideals do” which shut the ginger boy up for a second and he seemed to consider her words carefully.   
“I suppose” 

“Good luck” she whispered as she elbowed Draco in the side softly, he looked perfectly composed but they knew the legacy was important, they were aware that the eye of the house was on them and they knew what this meant for them and their family. Whether she wanted it or not was a different story.   
“Together” he whispered back and she nodded. Whether they had the same friends and whether or not she had offended him outside of the great hall, this was what mattered and they were in this together. Since birth. Twins were meant to stay together.   
The hat shouted out Slytherin before it had even touched his head and he was beaming.   
“Cassiopeia Malfoy”   
She stepped up to the stool, hoping to, like Draco, be immediately sorted. But the hat rested on her head for some time   
“Interesting”   
“I see”   
“Must be” she was ready to join Draco at the Slytherin table, do the bare minimum to get her parents off of her back for some time at least.   
“Hufflepuff”


	3. Of Worth and Self Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have been liking it so far,   
> Please do leave kudos or comments, any feedback would be appreciated   
> Parker :)

It was dead quiet, probably not, but her ears had gone numb. Everything about her had actually not stopped only her mind. She barely realized her feet were carrying her over to the table where she was met with mixed reactions, sympathetic looks, friendly welcomes and gazes of disgust, of fear. Disbelief. She watched as Blaise got sorted into Slytherin absently, how Ron and Harry both got Gryffindor. Everything was a haze. She stared at an empty plate numbly as everyone around her was chatting and enjoying the feast.

“Here, eat something,” an older boy said as he pushed over a plate with some fries and corn on it “I don’t know what you like but, everyone likes fries, right?” she shot him her best attempt at a smile as she numbly pulled the plate a bit closer and absently picked up a single fry and began chewing on it mindlessly. “I’m cedric Diggory” he introduced himself and she nodded absently not yet processing the depth of the situation

“You know who I am I guess” she muttered quietly, barely raising her eyes from the table before her. When she had wanted to challenge her parents' ideals she had wanted to decide for herself who was worthy of her time, not become another Andromeda or even worse, Sirius. She still wanted her parents' basic respect, and work off of that but with this unfortunate sorting, she was certain to have lost that.

“You will be ok in here, you know that right?”

“I am a Malfoy, the only place in which I would be safe in this school is the Slytherin common room. I can feel them looking at me, all of them. A Malfoy, a Black, in Hufflepuff, bad enough that Sirius was a Gryffindor but this” she laughed bitterly “I am not safe here.”

“You know, I lost family to the war.” Susan said coldly as they arrived in the dorm which made Cass laugh coldly “You don’t belong here”

“Watch your mouth, you might end up agreeing with my parents” she huffed before drawing the curtains of her bed shut and casting a simple silencing charm that would allow her to hear noise on the outside but keep her own noises within the boundaries of the four posts of the bed. She had not even managed to see Draco. Malfoys don’t cry, and yet she found herself crying until sleep eventually came over her.

“Cass” Draco hissed and she turned around, automatically wanting to cry again as she looked at her rather concerned-looking twin who looked as though he had slept as much as she had which most certainly was not sufficient in any way shape or form.

“How are you”

“Terrible” she hissed back trying to keep her voice down at the off chance that someone would be interested in their conversation “being a Slytherin was meant to be the easiest rule to follow” she admitted and let her head drop.

“Hey, I am sure that mother and father will still be proud of you” he sounded as though he wanted to convince himself more so than her as he avoided her gaze.

“You and I both know where I will be spending Christmas Draco” “But you are family, they wouldn’t -” he attempted to assure her.

“Don’t you understand” she laughed “They don’t fucking care Draco, how have you not yet seen that. It is all about the image. You are always fucking perfect. I am useless to them now. I am a spare, broken, a failure of a child. Draco they hit us. DO you really think they will forgive this? DO YOU?” she raised her voice towards the end. “I am terrified” she whispered as silent tears dripped onto her uniform “They will choose their idealism over their own child. I know that much. All you have to find out now Draco, is whose side you will be on.”

“Cassiopeia” he said quietly with a shaky voice and terror in his eyes.

“Choose them Draco. I am not worth it” her heart was breaking all over again as she quickly turned around and blended with the stream of students, leaving her brother behind. She was proven right when she got the dreaded but awaited letter.

_Cassiopeia._

_I am most certain you are aware that there is no measure to explain how disappointed we are in you. You are a disgrace for the Malfoy family as for the Black family. I expect you to remain at Hogwarts for the winter break. I expect you to distance yourself from your brother. He ought not associate with folk like you and the people you will attract being a Hufflepuff. At least do well in your classes, though there is nothing which can remedy this._

_Lucius Malfoy._

Draco caught her after breakfast and quietly showed her his letter

_Dear Draco,_

_We are beyond pleased to hear you made Slytherin and brought justice to the house of Malfoy and Black. I expect you to understand that it would be in everyone's favour were you to publicly distance yourself from your sister. Remember the rules. Have a fantastic first term._

_Narcissa and Lucius._

She had handed him her letter and looked at him sternly.

“Draco”

“No, they can’t make me” he said stubbornly

“They bloody well can. What good does it do you to risk this. We can just be careful.” lies.

“But Cass” “Draco. Just keep in mind please that suddenly I am to be treated the same as a muggle-born or blood traitor. Just- remember that.”


	4. Chapter 4

She made friends with Hermione and Blaise, they were nice, she remained friendly with Harry and Ron who seemed to like her much better than her Slytherin twin and they would sometimes study together or just hang out. Though Blaise really became her rock, they did everything together and nobody took a double take at the pair after some time.   
“Blaise, do you know the severing charm?” she asked one early evening as they were walking around towards the quidditch grounds and he shot her a very concerned look   
“Whatever could you mean?” he quizzed smoothly as he looked her up and down critically   
“I want to cut my hair. Mother always insisted I keep it long, lady like and everything. I feel like changing that.”   
“You know there are scissors for that” he snorted as he shot her a bright smile that said everything she needed to know. It was easy to tell that he thought it was fucking hilarious that she did not know about hair cutting scissors, but he was determined to help her out regardless of which tool was required. 

“Oh.” they stopped in their tracks as they witnessed something they had not wished to  
“Hey asshole” the black haired boy from the train laughed, Blaise had figured out that his name was Flint, the other boy was Oliver wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team.   
“What do you want Flint?” Oliver growled lowly before his face split into a grin and he pressed a quick kiss to the lips of the Slytherin, not noticing the two firstyears.   
“Is PDA allowed?” Cass asked Blaise, loud enough to make the two of them jump away from each other.   
“Uhm.”   
“Yea, not what it looks like. We know” she snorted   
“Wait- you’re the Malfoy girl” Wood said suddenly and she shrugged uncomfortably   
“I go by Cass usually. We were hoping to go for a fly. That ok?” she asked, mostly to clear whether anyone would be able to catch them which Oliver helpfully denied.

“You know. Flying is great” she grinned as she began hovering and Blaise smirked   
“I am well aware, can’t say I am impressed by the flying lessons” which made her giggle as they just began slowly gliding around, slow enough to keep talking. It was mid october so the air was turning more frosty, but the adrenaline rush she got from being on a broom was more than enough to keep her warm.   
“Me neither. Draco and I used to race all the time, see who would be the next Slytherin seeker. But- well that is out of the question now it turns out.” she admitted and shrugged   
“Well, at least you will be able to constantly measure who is better” he smirked   
“That’s why you are a Slytherin and I am not” she grinned at the perspective he had opened up to her.   
They ended up racing and the familiar feeling of absolute freedom was overwhelming. It was something she had missed almost as much as being able to confide in Draco. But now she was free again. Wind tangling her long hair and pierced needles into her skin. But she was free. Vogelfrei. 

“Ready?” he asked and she nodded   
“Do it”   
The sound of the blades cutting through her hair was the most satisfying thing she had ever heard and she felt the weight being lifted off of her shoulders as Blaise presented her with a fist full of hair, it had to be at least 20 centimeters and when she went to feel it she could feel that her hair was merely shoulder length, but it was not enough.   
“Make it look like Cedric” she said, hoping Blaise would know how the third year wore his hair. Short sides, longer hair on top. She liked that idea.   
“I can try, but it will look really choppy with scissors” she smirked with a warm feeling in her stomach and heart that was slowly making her body tingle all over   
“Even Better” she grinned  
~  
“Miss Black. Whilst I appreciate your’ he hesitated before commencing ‘story telling skills, I am unsure how that is relevant to your trial” she smirked knowingly.   
“Well, Chief Warlock sir, During my first year I learned the similarities between being a disappointment and failure and what my parents regarded as wrong. Because being a Hufflepuff caused them to tell my brother to stay away from me. I learned very quickly that the things I had learned as a child, growing up, was misguided. I had, as previously mentioned, become friends with Muggle Born witch Hermione despite still clinging to what my birth giver and sperm donor had taught me. But it was difficult to let go of everything as it was all I had ever known. The fact that they were very wrong was something I realised through my first year. But I pushed Draco away. Made sure he supported the ideals we grew up with. Was treated well by our parental units. Was safe when he would go home over summer”   
The high Warlock cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the young woman who sat by herself on a sole chair, her left leg positioned above her right, in a muggle suit with high heels he would never dare admit, made him sure the woman was insane merely for voluntarily wearing those torture devices.   
“So, miss Black. You may commence your testimony.” he noted and she nodded   
“I did not see Narcissa or Lucius for years after that. I spent my first summer away from Hogwarts with Blaise.”   
~  
You will be most pleased to hear that I will be spending my Summer elsewhere.   
Regards. C.N.M 

“Thank you again Miss Zabini for hosting me for the first half of the summer break, I can not stress enough how generous you are.” Zira smiled softly   
“Now child. No need to thank me- Blaise has never been very social, I am glad he has found you.” she seemed genuine when she explained herself and for the most part the first few weeks were very nice. She helped out where she could, though on the day of her birthday she did not once leave her room.   
~  
“Zira Zabini was a true saint, a true motherly figure like I had never experienced. A very strict and well mannered woman with a witty head on her shoulders. She offered me shelter when I most needed it. When we returned to Hogwarts the next year not many things changed I most admit. Especially between Draco and I. We hardly ever spoke and unless we were meeting each other as rivals on the Quidditch pitch it was mostly averted and apologetic looks when we rushed past each other in the hallways. I still remember my first match against Slytherin because Lee Jordan made a point of making the big announcement that it would be Malfoy against Malfoy.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you have been enjoying the story so far

“Todays match is a true thrill. Malfyo against Malfoy, both Casiopeia and Draco made seeker for their respective houses and I am on the edge of my seat to see which sibling is the better flyer”   
It was Cassiopeia.   
~  
“Things took a dramatic turn of sorts in our third year, as neither of us returned to the manor that year, neither in the winter, nor in the summer.”   
~  
It was mid december, the air was chming with frost and pure cold as snow began to put a comforting blanket on the Hogwarts grounds when Draco pulled her to the side.   
“Cass”   
“Oh, hi Draco.” she replied coldly as she avoided his eyes, the eyes that could read her in a second and know how to make her smile again. The eyes that would put tears in hers because she had been holding it all in for way too long. Eyes that could tear her soul our and any piece of info with it.   
“I’m staying for Christmas” he announced and her head shot up, dizzy with the info she had just received as she looked at her brother again properly for the first time in a year. They had not spoken much, between her avoiding him so he would be ok with their parents and her actually keeping busy to stay on top of all of her classes was rather time consuming. She spent quite some time around Slytherins in general, she got along with some of them, Blaise first and foremost, Cassius and Adrian, two of the quidditch players as well. But she avoided Draco when she was around them, she spent a lot of time with Cedric since he was one of the few people in her house who seemed to genuinely get along with her. She lounged around Oliver and Flint and by default Percy Weasely a lot, since they were fantastic company to practice quidditch with though Percy would sped his time in the stand criticising the fact that his ‘stupid boyfriend’ should study more for his NEWTs which was always rather amusing. In her third year she had learned that apparently Oliver was going out with Percy and Flint which made a lot of the oddities she had observed make more sense. They would fly weekly, sometimes Blaise would join them, sometimes Cedric and Cho would too, alongside of Ginny. Providing it was not strategy or an official match the house competition was left on the entrance of the pitch.   
She, thanks to Cedirc, spent a lot of time around the Wesely twins which certainly made for the most amusing company and Cho Chang. The girl seemed rather reserved at first but once one got past all that she was the most fantastic company, she knew everything about everyone. She would study with Hermione, Ron and Harry, Kyla or of course, Blaise. With those circles, it became easier with each day to avoid her twin. But he had managed to corner her.   
“Why?”   
“Because I don’t care. I don’t care what mother and father say about blood traitors. Fuck their stupid rules. I am making my choice.” he said sternly and looked at her with a look she recognized from the mirror, determination which left no room for discussion. He was firm.   
“And if it means that I need to get friendly with mud- muggleborns then so be it.” he added and she grinned.

“So this is the Slytherin common room” she said in awe as Draco lead her into the area where she just stood and took it in. The colours were muted and dark, greys greens and some shades of deep blue, tinted in the through lake water filtered light which put constantly moving lights on the floors in a truly magical way. Comfortable looking sofas, draped in soft looking green fabric made up the sitting surface. Tables of mahogany wood were towards the right and a few older students she had not yet met were playing cards whilst some others had taken a seat in front of the impressive fireplace and were huddled together underneath blankets.   
“Oh look, my favorite blood traitors” pansy screeched before throwing her arms around Cass as though it had been a compliment and she was her long lost best friend of sorts.   
“Now, come let me get a proper look at your hair, I hear Blaise has been cutting it?” Pansy asked before immediately running her fingers through Cass’ short pixie cut   
“Uhm- What is going on?” she asked dumbly and Pansy laughed in response   
“We missed you silly, and the common room is a safe space. You physically can not speak of what happens in here, an enchantment of sorts. See a gryffindor sneaking out after snogging our quidditch captain? A secret so we can’t speak about it outside of here.”   
“Oh wow that is actually really smart” she admitted and sent Pansy a soft smile, she had really grown up in the past three years. Her features had grown with her, and though she still had a round face and otherwise cute features they matched the proportions of her face much better. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief and her hair had grown beyond her shoulders.   
“So, if you have this secrecy charm, why did you not bring me here earlier?” she asked, not offended in any way shape or form but rather curious about the boundaries of the magic and how it prohibited earlier meetings.   
“Well, partially because people could have seen you enter and leave” Draco said “and because frankly, charms don’t always hold up 100 percent, we don’t exactly know how it works and -”   
“He was too scared” pansy cooed “because of the whole conflict.” which seemed fair enough in her mind. It made sense to her that Draco had not wanted her there out of fear. She did not blame him.   
“That’s where the reputation for being sneaky comes from then” she muttered “with this enchantment you learn how to find out information and distribute it because you are bound to secrecy” she added, suddenly a lot sadder than she was not a Slytherin.   
“Cass?” Blaise asked confused as he stepped out of his Drom, wearing atypical clothing, consisting in black sweats and a jumper that looked mayb two sizes too big on him. Usually when she saw him he was perfectly put together, but now he had sweater paws and it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. “What in the name of Merlin, are you doing here?”  
“Draco and I-” She tried to explain but was halted by Draco who, Blaise had told her, had no particular interest in being his friend.   
“Some things have prompted me to reconsider my choices. We are making amends. Come join us.” he waved over as the small group moved towards one of the sofas where Draco flopped down next to Pansy, who sat next to Cass, Blaise was on the very right and Cass was leaning against him in the same manner Pansy was leaning against Draco, her head was resting on his shoulder, arm lazily draped over hers and his chin resting against her head.   
“So. Explain it to me” Cass said softly “Everything.”  
“It started when Mother and Father began talking about you again. It was cold. They, would speak of you the same way as they speak of the Weasels, of muggleborns. They were so condescending and disgusted, or father was anyway. And it just got worse the longer you were gone. Off hand comments, how they did not understand how you were besting me in class together with that Hermione girl. Somehow you were the same as everything they did no longer like, the people you associated with- and it made me think. You are still my sister, so either you really are terrible for everything you are doing or whatever mother and father have taught us is absolute bullshit. And that seems easier to overcome than that my sister is a blood traitor”   
“Oh it isn’t easy” she shrugged but smiled at Draco “And as much as I wanted you to be safe and ok with Narcissa and Lucius I’m glad you chose tolerance” she smirked   
“But you immediately became friends with that - Granger girl, and the Weasels.” Pansy said confused as though it was impossible   
“Yea, but it was difficult. I didn’t suddenly become not a blood purist. I just decided to spend time with them to get rid of the idealism. Had to bite my tongue a lot but. Worth it” she smirked which put a smile on both Draco’s and Pansy’s face.   
“Now tell me, Cass, what have you been up to?” he asked 

She told them everything, how she had a constant battle with Hermione for the post of the top of the class, how she met Kyla after one of the Quidditch matches and had been spending a lot of time with the black haired ravenclaw girl. How she was training outside of practice hours with Ginny, Oliver, Flint, Adrian and Blaise as friendly competition. How Snape hated her from the bottom of his heart because she was an absolute smartass and would not shut up or stop correcting him with every small mistake for which he could not take house points without getting into trouble with Sprout because she was right. How she focused most everything on potions just to be that smartass. How she befriended Neville through Herbology. How a lot of the Hufflepuffs bullied her and how her dorm mates hated her and she would often sleep in the common room still, even after three years. How Cedric was her closest friend from Hufflepuff and how he had swiftly woven her into his friendship group which consisted of Cho Chang, the ravenclaw seeker and the Weasley twins and how they were teaching her all the wrong things to further annoy snape. How her boggart had turned out to be Lucius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and Kudos are appreciated ^^


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mention of child ab*se and torture

That night she had a nightmare. She had snuck down into the common room and was staring at the dark ceiling when, much to her surprise, sleep came fast but she wished it had not.   
She was an observer of her own life. She looked older than she was, maybe 16 and she was standing by the side of Narcissa and Lucius. She looked unenthused as ever though she carried herself differently. She was clad in a black suit that was tailored so well it could have only been custom made by her mother's tailor. It was most surprising that her mother tolerated her to wear a suit with a skinny black tie. She was taller, not only due to high heeled boots and her hair was still short, only it was dyed a dark blue colour. Her left hand was resting comfortably in her right hand hand on which she was wearing several rings. She looked angry and held her head in the same way she always did when she was not wanting to back down. But something was off about her. Or the image anyway. It was unsteady, flickering. Between her and a young man who looked treacherous like her. He was blonde. Draco.   
“Fail to comply” a voice she did not know snarled “and there will be consequences” the voice was more of a hiss, a reptilian sound that made her bone marrow freeze and all the hairs of her arm stand. It was the kind of growly voice that made her want to throw her hands up and protect herself and apologize despite not having done anything.   
“What kind of consequences are we talking about?” her older self asked challengingly, voice vibrating and constantly shifting as she crossed her arms, seemingly unfazed by the faceless voice. Her voice, or that what she assumed to be her voice had grown more mature, a more silky growl.   
“Crucio” her older self did not even flinch, She could see her chest heaving but she made no sound as she was slowly forced to her knees by the curse. But Cass could feel the pain, could feel the way everything felt like it was being torn apart. Her body felt like her blood had turned to fire and her every bone was broken and put back together. She was screaming at the top of her lunges but nobody seemed to notice. 

She woke up in the hospital wing. Hannah Abbot, Wayne Hopkins and Cederic were hovering by her side as Madam Pomfrey was rummaging through a cupboard.  
“What is going on” she coaxed out which made Hanna visibly jump back, the three students looked beyond tired and exhausted, Hannah’s hair was a mess, knots all throughout it, she was wearing a pajama with small badgers all over it, Cedric was wearing loose grey joggers and a tank top whilst Wayne was wearing a flannel shirt that could not possibly be his and black sweats. All of them had tousled hair and dark circles underneath their tired eyes. Madame pomfrey herself looked like she had just fallen out of bed.   
“You- you’re awake” Hannah stated and sounded almost relieved.   
“What - why am I here”   
“You- I-”   
“We heard screams coming from the common room. And you were just slowly collapsing in on yourself and you just would not stop and we tried to wake you but you wouldn’t wake up so I woke Cedric and we brought you here and-”   
“Wayne- breathe” Hannah said softly though she looked as panicked and concerned as the boy with hazel hair and matching eyes, usually glimmering with curiosity.   
“Cass, what the fuck were you doing in the common room anyway. And why-” Cedric asked concerned as he carefully pushed a strand of hair off of her forehead.   
“Sleeping- I-”   
“Mr Diggory, Miss Abott, Mr Hopkins. That is quite enough questions for now. Miss Malfoy, I will keep you here over night. The three of you may return to your common room, and take this.” she handed the group a slip, likely explaining why they were out of their dorms at Merlin only knew what time. “Miss Malfoy, drink this”   
She handed her a potion   
“See you tomorrow Cass” Cedric said before he turned and left with the others and she gulped down the potion which Pmfrey later informed her to be dreamless sleep. But it had felt too real to be a dream. It had been so strange, like someone was trying to tell her something. But those were questions for the next morning and she drifted into blackness.   
Despite the potion flashes of red light were haunting her. 

“Hey” she muttered tiredly as she opened her eyes again and saw Blaise first thing  
“Hey sleepy head” he replied softly as he properly sat up   
“What are you already doing here?” she asked, assuming it ought to be the early morning but Blaise shot her a concerned look as he sat up properly on the bed next to her on which he had been residing.   
“It’s after classes, you’ve been out for over twelve hours, nobody could wake you. Pomfrey kicked everyone out, so I had Flint hit me with a Bludger” he shrugged and she giggled at that. Only Blaise.   
“You are an idiot”   
“Oh good, Miss Malfoy, you have rejoined us. How do you feel?”   
“Hungry” Cass replied deadpan which made Pomfrey sigh.   
“You may leave and join the rest for dinner though I request you sleep here tonight please. As for you Mr Zabini you may leave. Please avoid further quidditch accidents” 

Together they walked out of the Hospital wing, and for security, as she felt dizzy and dangerously low on blood sugar, she slid her hand in that of Blaise who gave it a quick squeeze and shot her a side glance. Nothing else needed to be said. He had once told her about all the secret food Slytherins would hide all over the common room and in their dorms, it seemed normal for him to take her there.   
He muttered the password and lead her through the entrance without letting go of her hand which rested comfortably in his. 

“Here” he offered softly as he passed her a brownie the Slytherins had probably gotten from the kitchens.   
“Thanks Blaise” she replied before taking a bite from the sinfully good sweet that was not too sugary and mostly just tasted of rich chocolate and hazelnuts. She chewed and swallowed before shooting Blaise a grin, knowing full well her teeth were most likely covered in chocolate. The other boy snorted and rolled his eyes but grabbed a brownie for himself to match her amused expression.   
“So what happened” he asked quietly as she took another bite and she shrugged, she could not really explain.   
“Just a bad memory” she muttered before quickly taking another bite   
“What memory”   
“Just one of the times father practiced Crucio on me” she shrugged   
“He did what” Draco screamed behind her and she whipped her head around to see her brother standing in the entrance to the dorm room. Face flushed with anger and red with fury, his eyes were burning.   
“Oh, I thought you knew” she shrugged before taking another bite of the brownie   
“That whenever he gave you lectures HE TORTURED YOU?”   
“Well, yes?” she shrugged apathetically “You know, princesses don’t talk back. Why did you think they got upset with me so much quicker?”   
“But-”   
“Draco. Calm down, I’m good. Now sit, eat a brownie and shut up” she instructed which rendered him speechless and Blaise with disgust but a smile on his face. She had always thought Draco had known Lucius enjoyed unforgivables on her. Imperio and Crucio were his favorite spells to use on her other than Legilimes of course. She had assumed he would either tell Draco about it or mother. He would do the same to Draco but evidently not.   
“How are you, I didn’t know you were released from the infirmary” Draco asked as he had made himself comfortable on his own bed, sitting cross legged, a brownie in his hand.   
“Eh, all good. Just have to go back for the night, so she can observe but I am all good” she assured and attempted an assuring smile as the voice she had heard was still sending shivers down her spine like lightning. Out to kill.   
“What happened? I cornered Abbot and Diggory but they would not tell me what was going on” he huffed as though it offended him that they had not spilled the secrets whilst Cass herself was feeling a warm sensation in her chest. Perhaps it was basic decency or house loyalty but they had not used this info against her and it made her grateful.   
“I was sleeping in the common room. Had a nightmare. Woke the two of them and Wayne up. Nothing big.” Draco seemed most dissatisfied with the answer as he gave her a testing look. Unsure whether she was lying or just not telling the whole truth, though he eventually settled back knowing that he would not get her to tell him more. 

“I hear Snape was rather offended you had not shown to his class, was even more miserable and annoying than usual” Draco said   
“I did not think his moods could worsen” she grumbled as she removed the crumbs from Blaise’s bed with the flick of her wand.   
“I bet you’re his favorite student” Blaise snickered “You may be insufferable but let’s be honest you always know what’s going on in potions.” an overly dramatic shudder went through her body and she imitated gagging noises   
“Ew. I have never been so disgusted with myself. Being his favorite student is making me rethink my entire approach to potions.” A grin broke the act as she broke into laughter, Blaise and Draco joining in soon enough. 

“Hey Hannah, Cedric” she said to the other girl who sat diagonally across from her on the table, Cedric opposite her “Thanks for not telling anyone what happened. I know you don’t like me much Hannah but means a lot” she shrugged and Hannah looked up at her bewildered   
“Of course. That would be horrible. I’m glad you’re doing better now.” the blonde said carefully as she shot Cass an insecure smile of assurance.   
“What were you doing in the common room?” Cedric asked and she immediately avoided his eyes. She did not want to see the upset in them   
“I- I sleep there most nights” she mumbled quietly not looking up and waiting for a lecture from his side though it, much to her surprise, came from Hannah   
“Why would you do something so idiotic?” she asked, baffled and sounding much more secure in herself as she asked the question   
“I overheard you and Susan one night in first year. How you didn’t feel safe sleeping in the same room as a Malfoy. So I started sleeping elsewhere. It’s not nice knowing to be despised.” she replied sounding cold, calculating but could not keep the hurt out of her voice as she looked up to see Hannah stare at her in shock, as though that thought had never even occurred to her.   
“We were first years. Merlin. All these years you felt uncomfortable I- we didn’t even know you back then. All we heard about was your family, of course we were a bit tensed.”  
“But do you know me now? Is there any reason for you to feel any different” Cass asked rhetorically since she knew the answer was no   
“No. Because you avoid all of us like the Dragon Pox. But none of us are scared of you anymore. You’re a straight E student and compete with Hermione. Has that never occurred to you?”   
“Well- no” she said quietly and Hannah looked almost smug and satisfied with her argument.   
“See. Now. No more sleeping in the bloody common room. Got it?”   
“Yes. But I have to sleep in the infirmary tonight” she admitted and Hannah smiled, softly and genuinely   
“That doesn’t count.” 

“Mr Zabini I must ask you to leave” Pomfrey said sternly and Cass watched her best friend grow angrier, he did not want to leave yet. She had never expected for Blaise to smash his right hand against the brick wall of the infirmary whilst not breaking eye contact with the healer who let out a shocked gasp. “Mr Zabini”   
“Madam Pomfrey I seem to have an injury on my right hand. I ought to remain in the hospital wing for a bit longer” his voice did not waver and he kept a perfectly straight face as he delivered the line smoothly, earning a snicker form some seventh year ravenclaw who had witnessed the entire thing from his own bed. 

“You’re an idiot” Cass laughed as Blaise sat on the bed next to hers whilst Pomfrey fixed his bones and he laughed softly, a melodic laugh that made all her insides tingle in harmony. She wanted to put the sound in a bottle and carry it around with her whenever she felt down. It was like it was the melody of spring, the awakening of life, nature and blossoming of the prettiest flowers, sunshine and warmth gracing the gardens. It made her feel complete and ok, this one bloody sound that fixed almost everything.   
“No, I am what they call resourceful.” he smirked and Pomfrey sighed in defeat which put a wide smile on her face.   
“Mr Zabini, unfortunately you will have to spend the night here” Blaise grinned as he put on a sad face and muttered, rather sarcastically, that it was a true shame. In response Pomfrey uttered something that sounded an awful lot like Just like Remus and Sirius but they could not be sure. 

“So. You’re stuck with me now” he grinned which in turn put a warm feeling in her stomach and a smile on her face. As she looked at him the small things fell to her attention, the way there were small lines around his eyes as he grinned, and how there was small dimples nobody knew were there since he usually kept to himself. His resting face was a sight to behold. His features were pretty, she always thought. High cheekbones, a strong jaw and full lips but when he smiled his whole face lit up and she felt privileged to know that he had dimples because they were utterly adorable. It made him look so much sweeter much opposed to his utterly impossible personality but regardless. He was cute.   
“Oi. Cass. Idiot” Blaise snapped, ripping her out of her thoughts about his dimples “Have you heard anything I just said?”   
“No” she replied simply and straight to the point which made him snort as he ran his hand, the left one, over his face in comedical frustration with her behaviour.   
“I was asking if you have thought about how you were going to structure your studying timetable”   
“You haven’t done that yet?” she shot back, having created her timetable with Kyla and Hermione weeks ago, waiting for Blaise to come talk to her about it though she knew he did not enjoy studying with others much.   
“I am studying with Kyla and Hermione, you are welcome to join us. I am focusing on Potions and defence, Hermione took Astronomy and Muggle studies, Kyla has History of magic and Ancient runes. We could use a man for Charms, Transfiguration and Herbology”   
“I’ll take Herbology and Transfiguration” he immediately said before adding “and I am sure Draco will love Charms”   
“Draco?”   
“Obviously, he will study with us, won’t he” she shrugged, excitement tugging at her gut to know that they would be in a group together, hoping Kyla and Mione would not object.  
“True. Sounds bloody fantastic. What’s it with you and Herbology I honestly don’t get it” she wondered “I mean, it’s plants Blaise. At least Planets are cool.” 

The scene was similar 

“I will stand for his mistakes,” the flickering figure announced smoothly.   
“My father is becoming a bit delusional. I will take his punishment, would not want to drive him further up the wall, would you?” they said with their vibrating voice. The figure with the shifting face stood up and smoothed down their black dress shirt as they stepped in front of the table.   
“How noble” the evil voice laughed coldly and every ounce of blood in her veins froze though the older mix of Draco and her stood straight with their head held high,   
“I don’t come from the noble house of Black for no reason” ever changing hair color flickering into a blur as they were hit in the chest with Crucio.   
She could feel herself scream again, in the pure agonizing pain but the figure did not budge until someone else yelled   
“Scream”   
“No.” they replied, voices remaining steady as they stood straight though their knees were beginning to bend.   
“Scream” another one shouted and for a brief second the face remained fully stationary, Draco, older and with much paler skin, dark circles under his eyes collapsed fully, hands pressed against the floor of the manor as a heartbreaking scream was drawn from his mouth and his body began twitching.   
Fighting against the pain she could hear herself scream   
“NO DRACO” and suddenly she was not observing. The pain did not stop but she suddenly felt the cold of the floor crawling up against her legs, Her body obeyed as she managed to straighten her back again despite the pain.   
“No.” she said coldly as she looked up and met red eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope u like it


	7. Chapter 7

“Cass” Blaise cried as he shook her body which was twitching in ways that caused him pain by just watching.   
“I’m awake” she muttered as she sat up as though nothing had happened, running a quick hand through her pixie to keep the unruly strands of straight hair from obscuring her vision.  
“Bloody hell you insufferable brat” he shouted at her but his voice was shaking dangerously as he wiped a tear off of his cheek, hoping she had not noticed.   
“Hey. I’m fine” she said with a smirk on her lips but her entire body was trembling. She felt wrong, like something had changed. Like a decision had just been logged in. Like something of universal importance had taken place in her dream.   
“Please tell me you didn’t get pomfrey” she muttered and he made a rather discontent noise.   
“I couldn’t get pomfrey because your stupid magic trapped me in here”   
“Hm.” she shrugged   
“What happened? I- you were screaming so loud it almost broke your muffliato. I came to check on you and. Was stuck here” he muttered as though he was offended.   
“I’m fine now” she repeated, shaken up and scared she would cry.   
“Go back to sleep, blaise. Please” she whispered and he gave her a testing look.   
“What did you dream about?”   
“Nothing”   
“Cass you are about to cry. What did you dream about.”   
“Torture” she muttered and he nodded before lifting the blanket of her bed which was mostly tossed to the side and slid into the bed next to her to give her a proper hug.   
The nightmares did not return. 

She woke up curled up in Blaise’s arms, with his arm slung around her waist, her back pressed against his chest and his face buried in her neck. He was warm and smelled of sandalwood and roses.   
“Uhm. Excuse me.” Madam Pomfrey said pointedly as she stepped into her field of view which made her jerk back and automatically woke up Blaise. When she shot him a glace there was a subtle flush against his dark skin before she turned back to Pomfrey.   
“Had a nightmare. Needed a hug” she muttered groggily before throwing her head back into her pillow and heard madam pomfrey repeat bloody lupin and black again   
“Imma get up now I need a fucking shower” she groaned and proceeded to not move a limb which made Blaise laugh softly   
“Are you always like this in the morning you insufferable idiot?”   
“Yep. Now make me get up” she said, expecting him to kick her out of the bed or levitate her out. Anything of the sort but he did no such thing. He slid out of the bed, shuddering at the cold of the floor as he was not wearing any socks and walked around to her. His jumper which he had slept in was a soft blue colour together with black sweats. He looked down on her which made her stomach do all sorts of funny things before picking her up from the bed like she weighed no more than a few books.   
“There you go Sunflower” he said softly as he set her down on the floor right before him.   
“Why sunflower?” she asked softly as she looked at his neck, not daring to raise her eyes and look at his face   
“Because you’re a hufflepuff but have a rotten soul” he snorted and she slapped his arm  
“Asshole” 

She took a quick shower and slipped into comfortable clothing, lose fitting jeans and a random shirt she had stolen from Blaise one summer, it was a puddlemere united shirt that fit her quite loosely so she tucked it into the waistband of her cuffed black jeans, pulled a plain black hoodie over her head and slipped into black high top sneakers. Saturdays really were a blessing. 

“There you are sunflower” Blaise chuckled when he saw her again after breakfast and she slapped his arm   
“You’re a stupid git”  
“You love it”   
“Obviously” she stuck out her tongue before appreciating his clothes. They were designer, because what else would the great Blaise Zabini wear, a cashmere looking turtleneck in a deep burgundy with fashionably lose trousers that were bound by a black belt with silver chains.   
“Wrong colour darling” she said before falling into step next to him   
“Do I look like I care?” he asked with the most neutral of facial expressions which made her giggle a bit “Explain me again why we have to speak to professor Lupin before we go to Hogsmeade?”   
“Because I want to know what Pomfrey’s comments meant. Aren’t you a little curious?” she asked and he physically attempted to stop the smile   
“Fine” he groaned, dragging out the e “I am dying to know”   
“Knew it” she smirked as they wandered through the corridors to the classroom they knew they would find Lupin in, even on a saturday morning   
“You know, I am quite keen to meet uncle Sirius” she mused as they passed some other students they paid no mind to   
“Isn’t he a convicted mass murderer?”   
“No?” she said “Well yes, but he is innocent. Obviously. Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper, not Sirius. Heard Naricssa and Lucius fight about it once.” she elaborated and Blaise made a surprised expression as though he could not quite believe she would reveal such delicate information so casually. 

“Miss Malfoy, Mr Zabini. What brings you here so early on a Saturday morning?” Lupin asked as he placed a coffee cup back onto the table, getting up to properly converse with them. His brown hair was as per normal a mess and she began to seriously wonder whether the man knew what a hair brush was, though it fit with his aesthetic. Cardigans, muted colours, layers- devil may care. He seemed content as comfortable and relaxed which was nice to see in a professor for a change.   
“I was wondering. Your relationship with my uncle-” she started casually, letting her wand dance over her fingers   
“Excuse me” he growled almost darkly and his face had rapidly changed from relaxed to suppressed anger and fear. His eyes were dark and sparking with fury. Instinctively she wanted to take a step back. The expression was too familiar not to scare her to her core and make her fight or flight instinct kick in, but she knew better than to clutch Blaise’s arm and take a step back.   
“Now. Professor no need to get angry, full moon is not for another eight days” she said casually as she kept any and all emotion out of her voice. The fact that Blaise gasped at the same time as Lupin was rather amusing but disappointing, it ruined the dramatic effect ever so slightly. She checked her fingernails for dirt casually before sticking her left thumb in the pocket of her trousers and looking back up at the furious professor.   
“Is that a threat Miss Malfoy?” the man growled and this time she could not help but scoot closer to Blaise and carefully place her hand against his arm as a reassurance.   
“No. Of course not. Whatever made you think that?” she said stiffly before taking a deep breath “I just want to know something about you and my uncle. Is that so difficult to understand”   
“Why would you want to know about me and a convicted murderer.”   
“I will answer your question if you answer mine. What were you two like. Blaise punched a wall so I wouldn’t have to spend the night alone in the hospital wing. She muttered something about it reminding her of the both of you- and then this morning when she- well she made another comment. Why?”   
Lupin sighed and his hand down his face, admitting defeat.   
“Your uncle, Sirius, he once purposefully broke his own nose, in front of her, because Pomfrey refused to let him see me since he was not injured. That had been his response. Does that answer your question.”   
“Yes” she smirked “As for your question. I am not enquiring about a convicted criminal but rather a wrongfully convicted criminal. I am surprised you haven’t figured it out yourself Remus” she said casually “Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper.”   
“What?” the man breathed, sounding as though he was on the verge of tears “But Peter is-”   
“Dead? I doubt it.” she said more warmly “I just- he is like me, you know. Not a Slytherin, no contact to his parents. And when pomfrey said Blaise and I reminded her of him and you I wanted to know. As for the conviction, I overheard my parents arguing about it. My mother wanted to testify that Sirius was innocent if that counts for anything”  
“You can’t just- they said he was guilty” Cass had never made teacher cry before, it was a rather new feeling of- what the fuck do I do now   
“THEY SAID HE WAS GUILTY” he screamed but it was painful, not angry. Cass didn’t even flinch as she walked to his desk and grabbed the chocolate off of it. Throughout a few months of classes she had started to notice where he kept it for students who tended to get a bit overwhelmed.   
“Here Professor Lupin. It will help” she said softly and he took it appreciatively   
“I must speak with Dumbledore at once” he muttered before rushing out of the classroom. Leaving the two students to their own devices in his classroom. 

“That was”   
“Odd” Blaise finished as they stood in the suddenly empty classroom and exchanged a look. She shrugged aloofly and Blaise shook his head.   
“You’re impossible, Sunflower. How are you not in Slytherin with this attitude.”   
“I ask myself the same question everyday. Now come. You need your coat.” she decided before taking his hand and dragging him out of the classroom. 

He quickly picked up the pace and became the one walking in front of her but she did not mind much as they hurried through the corridors for no other reason than the fun of it.   
He quickly muttered the password and rushed into the Slytherin common room and of course she followed, though she stayed in the common area rather than follow him into his dorm as she found two suspect looking Gyrffindors lounging around.   
“Oliver. Percy. Fancy seeing you here” she smirked and they rolled their eyes with an amused smirk   
“Cedric” she said numbly as she watched Cedric walk down from one of the dorms, the boys she noted.   
“Wait what-” Oliver turned to see the Hufflepuff stop in his tracks as he spotted Cass standing with the two Gryffindors   
“Cass I-”   
“You forgot your jumper dumbass” a familiar voice shouted behind him and a hoodie promptly flew into Ceddrics face. She excused herself from the two others and walked over to him and said in a hushed tone.   
“I don’t care that you are shagging Adrian but what about Cho?” she said pressingly to avoid Adrian overhearing them. She really could care less but she enjoyed Cho’s company and did not want the girl getting hurt. Because that would mean her losing Cedric as a friend.   
“Oh, we have an. Well, open relationship of sorts.” he said with a hot flush painting his cheeks   
“Ok, that’s cool then.” she said and had never been so relieved to see her friend as she rushed over to him.   
“Can you believe that Cedric is shagging-”   
“I know” he replied in a similar tone of voice “Almost screeched when I saw him lounging around in the common room for the first time. He is such a-”   
“I know” she replied laughing quietly   
“It all makes sense now” she muttered once they were out of the common room on their way to retrieve her coat from her dorm as he sent her a confused gaze.   
“Swear to secrecy?” she asked and he nodded   
“Well- actually. No sorry. Not my secret to tell” she admitted with a small shrug and Blaise nodded again   
“And that, my sunflower, is why you are in Hufflepuff.” he snorted as she playfully slapped his arm   
“Right, come on” she said as she waved to him, the way to the house having opened up. He shot her an uncertain look. Hufflepuffs prided themselves in having an unseen common room by members of other houses.   
“You sure?” he quizzed as she took his hand with a wide smile on her lips   
“Obviously”   
The small walk was dark and gloomy, strange magic that was a remainder of Helga Hufflepuff herself. It was not damp or anything, just a tingling sensation Cass had gotten used to rather quickly when sunlight began to hit the stones before them and the tunnel widened into a massive room, flooded with lights and having incredibly nice smelling air due to the plants that were magically floating around. Posters for civil right movements decked out the walls and it created an entirely different tone than Blaise had expected.   
“Wow” he whispered as he took everything in, the brightness, the air, the aesthetic which leaned more soft punk than anything else. Three round wooden doors interrupted the soft grey brick wall, black and yellow Sofas which looked overstuffed but sinfully comfortable and tables of various woods made for an utterly mismatched interior but it worked.   
“What’s the third door for?” he asked curiously   
“Oh, it’s for Gender queer students or just students who aren’t comfortable with their assigned gender. It’s pretty cool” she shrugged with a soft smile which Blaise mirrored, in Slytherin nobody had really given it that much thought, there were no magical restrictions as there were in Gryffindor so with time they had just stopped giving any fucks. People would switch dormitories all the time, trans students would always find a spare bed in another dorm room and some rooms were reserved for the Non binary students but the common room had never adapted to properly accommodate them, mostly because the magic was already so protective allowing students to safely enter dorms and keeping ill intended individuals out of the dorms if needed be. For Blaise it had always been the boys dorm or nothing, he had told her once. But the possibilities for students who felt differently seemed great.  
“Hold on for just a second” she said as she sprinted towards the very left door, ripping it open and dashing down the hallways towards her dorm, almost colluding with a girl she did not stop to recognize and just ran until she threw open the door of her dorm, cheeks reddening and air filling her lunges shudderingly.   
She lifted the lid of her trunk and grabbed her black winter coat before running back, to find Wayne staring at Blaise.   
“Hi Wayne” she waved politely before looking at Blaise who seemed most fascinated by all the plants floating around.   
“Shall we?” she asked 

The holidays came quickly and she was ready to spend most of her time in the Slytherin common room, with her brother. Finally.   
“Basilisks are Superior” she said and the portrait swung back, allowing her to sneak into the common room, where she, much to her surprise, found Pansy draped over one of the Sofas, playing cards with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. It was an oddly domestic picture, steaming cups of tea on the table and seemingly engaged in an intense discussion over cards. Vince punched pansy in the side with a laugh as she broke her demeanor of stone and began laughing shamelessly much to the amusement of everyone else around the table.   
“What are you guys doing here?” she asked in confusion as they looked at her in perfect sync   
“Why spending Christmas with you all, obviously” Theo said with a smirk on his face that brought a smile to that of Cass  
“But I thought you were going to spend Christmas with your families?” she asked as she let herself fall onto the sofa next to Draco and the lot grinned   
“Well, if the Silver prince himself is learning to become a blood traitor we felt like it would only be fair if we all learned” theo grinned  
“You were one of us until you suddenly weren’t. So screw politics, you’re no longer one of us but who says it isn’t time for a new era” Pansy added softly with an assuring smile on her lips.   
“So, Miss Malfoy. Teach us your ways.” Theo snorted 

It was lovely to have her friends back and they really meant it. They were willing to listen to her ways, to why blood did not matter in the long run. Why it was misguided what they believed and fucking dangerous at that. Why she, Andromeda Tonks and Sirius Black were the examples of why blood supremacy was just an excuse to be racist. Since blood purity did not seem to matter once they fell out of line.   
And by the time the break was over she had her friends back. This time as real friends and not just out of convenience. 

She also got to meet Sirius Black. She was there the night of the events at the Shrieking shack. Promised him she would somehow make sure someone would testify. The man was everything she aspired to be, dramatic, tattooed and willing to die for his beliefs. But the fact that Pettigrew was involved was unsettling and it reminded her of the nightmares she had in her first year, it felt as though it was all connected.   
~  
“Draco ended up testifying for Sirius Black as you would recall. I would have done it myself but I unfortunately had the icky feeling that if I were to come forward something bad would happen. So I didn’t. My fourth year at Hogwarts was the essential chaining point of sorts, for me at least. For Draco it certainly was our third year, Hermione broke his nose. It was glorious but after that he got his head out of his ass and made friends outside of Slytherins that were pureblood.   
The point where everything went as wrong as it possibly could. I got involved with a few peopleI am certain me talking about or rather referencing my sexual encounters is making you all uncomfortable but I quite frankly don’t give a fuck. It’s part of the story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed it, please do let me know :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My life has sort of been   
> *mildly* crazy   
> I truly hope y'all enjoy

“I wish I could participate” she said wishfully as she watched people gather in the hall for the drawing of the names   
“No you don’t” Blaise smirked and she snorted in response as the mischievous sparkle in his eyes flared up at the sight of her mildly offended but mostly caught and called out.  
“Ok. Fair. My desire for death's sweet embrace is not yet that strong” she admitted with a sly grin, though she mentally added maybe. The pit in her stomach since the Quidditch World cup was all consuming.   
~  
“Oh boy, that would really change over the course of the next years” she laughed bitterly  
~  
“I know” he grinned which stung a bit though she reciprocated quickly. “I gotta go to the Hufflepuff table now” she sighed as pretty much everyone was beginning to fully settle down and she rushed off, seating herself next to Cedric and giving him an encouraging smirk. 

“The moment you all have been waiting for, the selection of the Champions”   
The hall was dead silent as Dumbledore was beginning to dim the lights and stepped to the Goblet which was burning with blue flames, casting dancing shadows on the Headmaster’s face. The shade of blue was mesmerizing, ranging from deeper shades to almost white. It reminded her of the ocean in a morbid kind of way. She wanted to touch it, feel it and if it killed her at least the aesthetic was right. 

Suddenly the flames turned a bright red and a singular note fluttered out   
“The Champion for Durmstrang is Victor Krum” he announced loudly which earned cheers from the group of students though one of the girls with gorgeous black locks looked slightly disappointed. Viktor got up, shook the headmaster's hand and was gestured to stand against a wall towards the entrance.   
“The Champion for Beaubattonx is Fleur Delacour”   
Cheers filled the hall as a stunningly beautiful girl got up from her seat, blonde hair in a low ponytail and a smug grin on her face that made her self confidence shine brightly. Confidence was hot, Cass decided as she watched the girl shake the headmasters hand and commenced to join the other champion.   
“The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory” he announced proudly and Cedric was beaming with pride   
“Well done mate” she smirked as she watched him strut towards his headmaster before joining the rest.   
“Excellent” Dumbledore shouted “We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history, one one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory. The triwizard cup”   
Gasps filled the room as the cup was revealed, it was shining brightly, its own light source. But cheers fell as the goblet of fire began moving, blazing fires rising in an odd way, not turning red and yet spitting out another name. Another champion.   
It was dead quiet for all the wrong reasons.   
“Harry Potter” Dumbledore said quietly, questioningly as though he could not believe and did not wish to believe the small piece of paper. Utter disbelief was obscuring his face as he looked up from the sheet   
“Harry Potter” he repeated more loudly and she could see as he ducked further into the seat next to Seamus and the twins. Snape and Hagrid looked the most disgusted with the development out of all the teaching staff, as though the rest had expected something like that to happen but they simply could not comprehend the severity of the words Dumbledore had just spoken.   
“HARRY POTTER” Dumbledore now shouted, some students jerking back at the volume of his voice as Harry rose carefully.   
Some people were shouting about how he was a cheat but Harry wore his heart on his sleeve and he looked fucking terrified, as though someone had announced he was to be executed within the next week. Considering the reputation that may not be too far from false. Pure terror was shining in his eyes as he was attempting to not shake all over.   
“THIS IS BULLSHIT” she shouted as she jumped onto the bench she had just been sitting on.   
“Miss Malfoy” Dumbledore hissed aggressively but she did not back down   
“I tried to enter. I couldn’t. Neither could Fred and Geroge. THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT AND ANYONE WHO BELIEVES HARRY ACTUALLY PUT HIS NAME INTO THE FUCKING GOBLET IS A FUCKING TROLL” she screamed earning some shouts of agreement from the Gryffindor side of the hall though the teachers looked very quite unhappy with her choice of words.   
“This will have consequences” Dumbledore growled and she glared, not sitting back down   
“Bring it on” she snarled and fury was sparking in Dumbledore's eyes as she slowly but gracefully slid back onto her seat, with many eyes on her, diverting the attention from Harry who looked like he desperately needed space to breathe. No matter which punishment she would get the feeling of impending doom had taken over her body, like it had with the trial she did not attend out of fear. Something was not right and it had something to do with Pettigrew who had something to do with the Quidditch cup and-  
“Fuck” she hissed before jumping up and running after Ron and Hermione who had already left the hall with Fred and George. 

“Fairy lights” she hissed as the Lady looked her up and down critically   
“Just because you know the password young lady, does not mean I will let you in” she said critically and ready to turn back to singing but Cass had no intention to give up that easily   
“Listen up, remember Percy Weasely? I must speak with his brother. It is life or death. Please. You know me, you know I come here often with Harry or Fred and George. Please” she begged and the woman rolled her eyes   
“Fine Cassiopeia but I will personally make sure you get expelled if you take one wrong step”   
“I know” she grinned before running into the common room where she found Fred and George speaking with Ron and Hermione, eagerly awaiting Harry to return.   
“Cass how did you even-” Hermione asked but she held her hand up and cast a quick muffilatio around the four of them   
“It’s Voldemort. He is back.” she gasped, hardly having any air left in her lunges. “Karkaroff was a death eater. Or someone else but It is Voldemort he is back, or coming back” she hissed and the four looked at her as though she was utterly deranged.   
“Are you absolutely sure?” Hermione asked critically   
“Sure enough to take an unbreakable vow as a bet” she said which made the atmosphere tense up around them   
“Ok then. What do we do?” Ron asked, scrunching his nose up as he usually did when he had to think about something utterly unpleasant.   
“Don’t trust anyone. Especially Moody and Karkaroff. They’re new at the school and Krakoff is an ex death eater. But I don’t particularly trust Moody either. And don’t you dare mention this information comes from me. Got it?” she asked and got a row of confused nods.   
“Ok. Give him a hug from me, he looks like he needs it.” 

She disappeared from the common room as quickly as she had entered it again. She was rather aware that breaking into, or even thinking about breaking into a professor's chambers was a dangerous game but not nearly as tricky as breaking into the headmasters office as she was in desperate need to floo to the manor. Her dreams had been warnings and she was piecing the little information she had together, and she did not like the picture which ebgan materialising in her head.   
Snape seemed like the most logical option as she could either convince him to let her floo out or she would just duel him which seemed like an easy task. She did not believe he was much of a threat other than discomfort and scowls. And potions, but she doubted that he would just have a belt of potions to throw at her when she showed up. It seemed her best bet. 

“Miss Malfoy. What a displeasure to see you” he snarled as she hammered her fist against his door. The picture before her was utterly disturbing, it was snape with his hair in a messy bun, still wet hair dripping onto his green shirt that was loosely resting on the waistband of sweats that loosely hung off of his hips. Without the permanent scowl on his face he wore during the day he was rather attractive she noticed, she had never been able to tell how young the professor really was.   
“Sorry professor” she said, regaining composure “But I must go to the manor at once.”   
“Why would that be Miss Malfoy.”   
“Oh Severus, if I have figured out what is going on within an hour you must know already too. Don’t act so stupid it doesn’t suit you.” she pushed past him into his room and he could do nothing to stop her.   
“Miss Malfoy I would strongly advise you to-”   
“Oh shut up.” she hissed “But I am right, am I not.” he remained quiet “So I will go see my parents now thank you very much.” she hissed before grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepped into the floo, sending him an icy look.   
“Malfoy Manor” she shouted out, leaving a defeated looking Severus Snape behind. 

“Cassiopeia” her mother shrieked surprised when her daughter stumbled out of the floo, still in her school uniform, blonde hair in her pixie cut, looking an absolute mess, lips painted in patchy black lipstick she had partially bitten off from chewing on her lips, and talked off in the corners. Eyeliner in lines across her nose and a pair of thin rimmed silver glasses replacing her contact lenses.  
“What in the name of-”   
“Voldemort is coming back, isn’t he?”   
“What is the meaning of this” Lucius shouted out as he stormed into the living room, stopping as soon as his eyes fell onto his disgraced daughter. She had grown much taller and began to resemble her father more so than her mother, with pointy features, high cheekbones and a sharp jaw and chin, though she had her mother's lips, never painted in red unless it was blood from chewing on them- out of spite. She also looked much older than her age, similar to Draco she looked closer to 16 than she did to fourteen.   
“Hello Lucius, gonna practice Crucio on me again?” she snarled confidently as her father paled   
“What are you doing here.” he snapped   
“Voldemort is coming back, isn’t he?” she repeated and her parents exchanged a knowing look of fear and disgust, saying enough. Speaking volumes.   
“I want in.” she said calmly “Draco openly defied the family by testifying for Sirius Black. If we twist the story correctly we can make it seem like I never was a blood traitor. If we do it right he will leave Draco alone.”   
“You are spewing nonsense.” Lucius spat, jaw tensing up and eyes darting around the room uncomfortably.  
“You have always been a terrible liar Lucius.” she said, attempting to remain calm “Let me make this perfectly clear. I will happily kill both of you to keep my brother safe. So you better let me in on the whole fucking story so I can protect my brother. My friends. My home.”   
“Cassiopeia-” Narcissa pleaded but she shook her head   
“Not happening. I am not letting him get involved in this. I will be your picture perfect little death eater daughter. I will be valuable enough because I am popular with every house. I have intel on everything and everybody trusts me. It will be kids' play to fool him into believing Draco is useless.”   
“How did you find out?” Narcissa sighed eventually as she gestured for her to sit on one of the chairs next to the sofa   
“Harry is forced to participate in the triwizard tournament. It could not be any more obvious after Pettigrew escaped. And the whole Quidditch cup scene”   
Her parents stared at her in utter disbelief as she made that statement, she had never seen the two adults lose their composure as much as they had in that moment. As though it was utterly impossible to fathom that a Hufflepuff had managed to come to any such conclusion.   
“I hate you. So much. For dropping me as your child just because I got sorted into Hufflepuff, but the sorting hat was right. I am loyal. Loyal to my friends, my brother. Hogwarts and if I must become a deatheater to keep them safe I bloody well will become a fucking death eater. You two disgust me. The ideals disgust me. But you can bet your fucking lives that I will do everything in my power to do the right thing.”   
Her father shook his head in utter disbelief   
“Stupid child”   
“Am I though, Lucius? Am I stupid? Because I am pretty sure I am your best bet to get out of this alive. When he comes back he will see you, his loyal follower who defied him the second he died. I am the child that does not blink an eye at the torturing curse. The one that has mastered the art of Legilimency and Occlumency because of her piece of shit father. I know most things about most people and who would ever accuse a hufflepuff of being a death eater spy.”   
“Cassiopeia You really don’t- I don’t. Please don’t to this to yourself” Narcissa said calmly but with tears shining in her eyes as she attempted to remain perfectly composed   
“I would give my life for Draco and my friends. Any day. I know what I am doing.”   
“Cassiopeia” Lucius almost begged  
“No.” she snapped “You don’t get to tell me what to do lucius. Vince, Greg, Pansy, Theo and Draco have openly been recognized as blood traitors since they started to voluntarily associate with me and my friends. After three years. It would clearly raise suspicion if Draco now showed up as the perfect son. He would be in danger and you can not deny that. So. it’s me or none of your children, and how horrible would it look if both your children defied you?” she snarled “I have been preparing for this for three years. I knew this moment was inevitable since last year. I have accepted my role in this pathetic war. So let me take it now.”   
“You are a child” Narcissa cried out “You shouldn’t-”   
“Imperio” she cast on her father without second guessing her actions. Horror shone in his eyes as she forced him to cast Crucio on her.   
The torture was horrible, it felt like all her bones were being broken over and over and over again whilst her blood was fire ruhsing through her veins, she was being stabbed from all the different angles possible but she stood perfectly still. Narcissa was screaming for Lucius to stop but Cass remained standing, not breaking eye contact with her mother before casting finite incantatem.   
“I am your best bet at surviving this” she said gasping for air as Lucius regained awareness of the situation. “So accept my help you foolish idiots” 

They ended up burning all of Draco’s letters.   
“Let’s do it then,” she hissed as she grabbed her father's forearm.   
“Will you, Lucius Malfoy, swear that you will die before getting Draco Malfoy involved into the dark lord's business.” Narcissa said shakily   
“I will” he replied   
“Will you speak of him as a traitor to protect him from the war”   
“I will”   
“Will you pretend to trust our daughter and act as though she was on our side all along”   
“I will”   
“Will do everything in your power to protect Draco and other pure blood children from harm until the war is decided”   
“I will” 

She repeated the same process with her mother and forced her parents to take an unbreakable vow with one another before obliviating any memory of Draco since the start of year three from their mind. 

It felt oddly liberating to be able to step out of the floo in Severus Snape’s private chambers after forcing her parents to listen to her without any disputes. She liked the feeling of power just a little bit too much.   
“Cassiopeia” Severus snarled without looking up from his desk.   
“Severus” she smirked before marching over to his desk and taking a look at the test he had evidently been marking   
“Who is stupid enough to think that is the answer” she snorted as she pointed at the answer for the fith question which put a small smirk on his face which she had not been aware his face even could produce.   
“That would be your girlfriend”   
“Which one” she quipped back   
“Miss Parkinson of course” he sighed and Cass snorted   
“Oh dear. Thanks for letting me use your floor” she grinned before casting a quick obliviate on him before he could do anything about it. 

She could not sleep that night. 

Over the next few weeks she did not speak much to anyone, Fred and George really were her rescue since they were insufferable idiots and did everything in their power to cheer her up, Blaise had tried too but he was too uncomfortable with emotions at that point to do anything other than follow their usual schedule and act like everything was fine. She appreciated the stability he was giving her as much as she loved fred and George for involving her in one stupid prank after another. 

“So. Sunshine, when are you gonna tell us”   
“How you knew what was going on”   
“And why you have been in such a miserable mood recently” the two asked with a level of concern in their voices she had never before heard from either of them as they were sitting in the room of requirements, brooding over what they could possibly do next.   
“Promise not to tell?” she sighed as she looked at the twins who nodded in perfect unison   
“Nightmares. Started in year one. Got really horrible last year. Began to put it together last year and. I went to see my parents. Fucking bastards. So yea. Put all those things in a week and that means misery for a month” she huffed as she suddenly had to fight the tears that were treacherous little bastards.  
“That sounds” Fred began before george added   
“Lonely”   
“It is” she said frustrated “I can’t fucking talk to fucking anyone because the shit I got myself into is dark and nasty and I don’t want it. But I have to.”   
“What are you talking about”   
“I can’t tell you” she muttered as she lied down on the floor from her sitting position, staring at the dark brick ceiling in existential dread. Because being a teenage girl sucked. Stupid heart. Stupid Voldemort. Stupid everything.   
“Ok.” geroge said softly and lied down next to her, sending her a soft smile as she looked at him fondly, appreciating her friend more than he could ever imagine-   
“But you would tell us if you were in danger, promise?” Geroge asked carefully as he sent a concerned glance her way and she shrugged   
“Are we ever really safe?” she asked in response, hoping he would know what she meant, she was not in immediate danger but that certainly did not mean that she did not get herself in a stupid fucked up situation. 

Pansy Parkinson was a marvel of a female individual, she was witty, funny, smart- in most aspects, and unapologetic as they come. Her hair was raven black and kept in a relatively long short bob, usually pushed back with a slytherin. One blissfully normal saturday she was just relaxing in the common room with Pansy on one of the sofas when the black haired girl brought up a topic they had not exactly discussed before.   
“So, Cass, do tell me- have you ever thought about kissing girls?” her tone of voice was perfectly casual but tension filled her entire body as she spoke, her back was suddenly perfectly straight and she looked mildly terrified   
“I think about kissing many people Pansy. Girls, Guys, either or neither. I- I’m indifferent”   
“Good, I mean yea. I mean- I agree partially I guess.”   
“Cool” she whispered as she turned her head towards pansy, their thighs were toughing because they were just used to sitting closely to each other but suddenly their faces seemed much closer than they usually did, Pansy smelled like jasmine and chamomile tea before she leaned in.

Kissing girls was nice. 

She began returning to her normal self around late november, it became easier to sleep and easier to laugh. Partially because it begun seeming less and less real, nothing majorly bad had happened thus far in the tournament, Harry was ok, things were mostly just normal. The fact that she knew she was right was disturbing but for that time she could pretend it was normal, nothing was happening. For a mere moment it seemed as though things had stood still for the mere purpose of creating a false safety net in her chest which was only there to tear her to shreds at the right moment. For time being her friends were safe. She went back to spending her time equally split between all four of the common rooms since the fat lady liked her, she was always kept up to date on the Slytherin password and solving ravenclaw riddles were her favorite past time though sometimes (most of the time) Kyla would come outside to see a rather frustrated Cass arguing with the doorknob as she did not find an adequate answer.   
It was also around that time that she first had a snog with Pansy. It was around that time that Balise told her that he wanted to go to the ball with Kyla which maybe stung a bit more than it should have. And maybe she cried that night, but she would never tell.   
She had heard from Draco that Fleur had grown so sick of boys falling over themselves to go out with her to the ball that she had asked Sky, a witch from Durmstrag who sported a buzz cut and various facial piercings, glasses and a consistent lopsided smirk.   
Victor went with Hermione, George had asked Cassius Warrington, Lavender was going with one of the Patil twins and Draco wanted to go with Pansy. Ginny and Luna went together and Harry and Ron were rather sick of everything and not finding dates that Ron announced one evening that he and Harry would be going as mates. 

“Hey, Cass, wait up” Fred shouted behind her, of course she stopped and turned around to see him running down the corridor to catch up with her  
“What’s up Fred, and where is your better half?” he snorted  
“Probably having a snog with Cassius” he shrugged as did she, seemed about right. They both knew that George had a bit of a thing for the Slytherin, on a superficial level for the most part, but they were rather happy that he seemed to be enjoying himself.   
“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me? I mean I know you are probably going with Blaise but-”  
“No- I-” her heart was doing all sorts of stupid things in her chest as she looked at fred who was sporting his usual amused smirk with his eyes sparkling brighter than ever “I would love to” she finally managed to reply and his smirk widened into a grin   
“Wicked” he beamed and annoying little fairies were doing loops in her stomach. 

“Miss Malfoy” he sighed annoyed as she banged her fist against the door for the second time that school year though he probably did not remember the first time. If she had done everything right that was. Like the previous time he was sporting sweats though this time around, due to the sinking temperatures he was cuddled up in a hoodie of a surprisingly light shade of grey.   
“I need to use your floo Severus” she said as she pushed past him into his chambers as though it was nothing   
“Excuse me” he growled slowly, turning around to face her and he attempted to intimidate her by making himself look taller but she did not back down.   
“You heard me alright. I need to use your floo”   
“And why would that be?” he snarled, crossing his arms in front of his chest and she shrugged apathetically   
“I need a gown, obviously. When they announced to bring formal robes I did not anticipate this to be for a ball. So I need to get myself something to wear. So, you can either get that stick out of your arse and come with me or pretend you didn’t see me and let me get myself something to wear.”   
“How dare-”   
“Guess I am going by myself then, just hope I don’t splinch myself” she grinned before stepping into the floo and shouting out   
“Diagon Alley” 

She was not surprised when Severus stepped out a minute later, in dark jeans rather than sweats and a long black coat. She smirked at the scowl and linked her arm with his   
“Off to muggle london good sir” it was difficult to keep the grin off of her face, so perhaps severus had become her favorite teacher in a weird way. She began understanding his humor in his shouting and speeches. And with her perfect, spite fueled, potions record he really had nothing against her.

Forcing Severus Snape of all professors to go shopping for a dress with her in December in muggle London was perhaps her favorite thing she had ever done, because there simply was too many people around for him to be his usual insufferable self. And besides, she did not miss the small smirks from time to time when she made stupid jokes, because being his favorite student had its perks apparently.   
She dragged him through to the dress section of one of the many shops in London after having gone on a rather long exploration as to why she was not sure whether she should wear a suit or pant suit rather than a dress as it seemed as though it would be more scandalous for her to wear a suit and how she loved suits but at the same time really liked dresses but they were impractical. Snape looked at her like he would really enjoy strangling her just about then before growling something about how it only mattered that she liked the way she looked. It had been surprisingly nice advice from him that she had not seen coming. And after around another ten minutes of talking she decided that whilst just about most things she did were spiteful she could accept that she wanted a dress. 

“This one” she said awestruck as she looked at the dress before her. It had a single shoulder strap and a cut up back which was running diagonally from the left shoulder to the waist and whilst the back was rather low cut it seemed perfectly covered up due to lines of back fabric interrupting the plunge. The neckline itself was also running diagonally, highest as it transitioned into the shoulder strap and leaving the right arm completely uncovered. There were gemstones on the right waist as well as on the shoulder strap and the dress looked as though it had a rather snug bodice despite the soft looking fabric and then transitioned into a long flowy skirt which looked as though it was made of several layers of fabric despite still being aline with a slit up to the thigh on the right side. It was mostly black though the skirt transitioned into a burgundy red.   
“Try it on then” Severus sighed and she quickly picked her size off of the hanger and rushed into one of the changing rooms where she quickly slipped out of her sneakers, jeans, hoodie, shirt and Bra, hoping that the dress would offer enough support since she did not want to ruin the dress through annoying bra straps. It was weird to go shopping with someone else that was not Blaise or Zira. Of course her parents had never worried about closing her Vault in Gringotts, so with the help of Zira she exchanged some of her Galleons for muggle money and would refuse to get clothes anywhere else. Out of spite. Zira and Blaise both had a fantastic eye for fashion which she wished she had so she mostly relied on their judgement so having to judge her own clothing herself was difficult. Mostly because she did not trust Snape with actually having opinions on anything other than potions.

She had never before felt so beautiful in her life. The dress was snug in all the right places and she was beyond grateful that she truly needn't wear a bra with the dress, a fact she was excited about but was most certainly not about to share with her potions professor who seemed done with her shit already. She looked confident in the dress, grey eyes sparkling excitedly. She was objectively pretty and she was well aware of that fact, her features were sharp, her body was fit and well trained with a small waist and a chest that actually managed to fill out the dress. She was, like her brother, relatively tall for a girl her age at 5’7 and pale in a way that only made her look sick and like death if she did not get enough sleep.  
“So?” she asked as she stepped out of the cabin and looked at the man who looked her up and down critically as though he truly gave the question further consideration beyond just the superficial.   
“Must it truly be red?” he eventually asked   
“I’m going with Fred” she replied as though that would answer the question and apparently it did as he looked slightly confused   
“But-”   
“Pansy is going with my brother”   
“Ah.”   
“Hey, do you think this dress will make Blaise jealous?” she suddenly asked and heat rose into his cheeks as he stared at her in disbelief   
“Excuse me?” he stuttered and she twirled in the dress   
“Blaise, will it make him jealous?” she repeated her question, partially because she wanted an answer and partially because it was fun making him squirm.   
“It is a nice dress if that is what you are asking.”   
“Perfect” she smirked before rushing back into the cabin and putting her clothes back on, carefully carrying the dress draped over her arm.

“Great. Thanks teach for coming” she grinned, wanting to make her way over to the cash register but Severus held her back   
“If I recall correctly one usually needs shoes to wear. Give me that, foolish child and go look” he sighed as she grinned, carefully placing the dress in his hands and dragging him to the shoe section.   
Immediately she was drawn in by a pair of black killer heels with small black sparkling spikes on the plattform part of the shoe and the heels which were not that high if one were to subtract that platform part from it. There was a small strap which would secure the shoes which resembled a chain much more than a strap. Obviously she immediately tried them on and she could actually hear severus snort when she promptly almost fell on her face.   
“Miss Malfoy, I am certain it is not necessary to wear shoes like these for the dance” he sighed as she steadied herself against one of the shelves   
“But Fred is tall. And it is for the aesthetic. And just because you told me I shouldn’t I will” she complained “Besides I can just, make sure they don’t hurt” one of the things magic was incredibly useful for   
“But you can’t even walk in those things” Severus sighed   
“Well then I must practice, mustn’t I?” she smirked and he regarded himself as defeated when she slid the shoes off again and put them into the box.   
“Must you really do everything out of spite?” he asked   
“Yes” 

“Are you and your sister finding everything alright?” a friendly female voice asked behind severus who looked like he respectfully wanted to die right then and there and Cass did not feel to different as she and Severus said   
“Sister” in the same disturbed tone of voice at the same time which put a deep blush on the sales assistants face.   
“Oh, I am sorry” she said carefully as she looked between Severus who looked too young to be in his thirties and Cass who looked too old to be in her early teens as she tried to put the scene together in her head.   
“She is my-” he began with a low growl but Cass interrupted him quickly before he could say something that may get them into an uncomfortable explanation   
“Friend.” She hissed in his direction which earned them a confused look by the assistant who regained her composure surprisingly fast as she put her hands together   
“Yes, perfectly, thank you” Cass said gesturing between the dress and the shoe box she had just closed   
“What is the occasion if I may ask?” she smiled softly, brushing a strand of dirty blonde hair behind her ear   
“We have a ball coming up at our boarding school and I forgot to bring a dress so, last minute shopping” Cass said with a forced smile   
“How lovely, please do let me know if I can help”   
“Of course” Severus growled before shooting Cass a death glare which she reciprocated   
“You can’t tell strangers that you are my teacher do you know how dodgy that would seem” she hissed.   
“Ugh. I hate it when you are right” he grumbled, hoping she would not have heard it but she snorted as she sent him a grin. 

“See this wasn’t too awful” she grinned as they walked out of his floo again and he glared at her angrily   
“You are a horrible person. I will have a house elf bring this up to your room” he grumbled   
“Thank you” she grinned before casting another obliviate on him, before he even knew what she was doing. 

“Where the hell were you?” Fred asked accusatory   
“Or rather- why” George added   
“What is your business with snape?” Harry asked and she snorted   
“I forced Snape to go shopping with me” she laughed in response to which she was stared at in disbelief by the round of people “I didn’t have a dress, he has a floo. Easy. Obliviated him of course, could not have it that he can hold something over my head but, it was shockingly fun” she admitted and Harry shook his head in utter disbelief   
“You are insane”   
“I know” she smirked “Did you guys know the man can laugh?”   
“Seriously?” Fred and George asked simultaneously   
“Yes, I admit it was because I almost fell flat on my face but hey-” 

She and Fred went on a stroll through the castle when a thought crossed her mind   
“Hey, Freddie- about the ball” she began and he looked at her attentively as she began squirming underneath his gaze   
“DId you ask me as a friend or as a date? To the ball I mean?”   
“What would you prefer?” he asked softly   
“I think you know the answer to that” she replied carefully as a mischievous smile spread on his face as he carefully backed her against the wall, there was enough room for her to stop him, for her to stop this and enough time for her to tell him no, but she did not want to, he, in fact, was taking far too much time in her mind such that she went on her tippie toes and placed her hand in the back of his neck before pulling him down towards her and kissing him.   
He tasted like acid pops and smelled like Zonko’s, an array of things really but together they just made up the atmosphere of the shop and it made sense that he smelled like that.   
His lips were chapped and he was a surprisingly fierce kisser. She was glad to be leaning against the wall because her legs certainly would not have properly done their job for much longer when she let one hand slide into his hair which was silky smooth to the touch. Carefully he bit her bottom lip allowing a small gasp to escape her and he used the opportunity to carefully slide his tongue into her mouth.   
“Mr Weasely” McGonagall growled behind them and Fred quickly pulled his hand away from them hem of her shirt as he jerked back and attempted to smooth his hair down, as did Cass whose face was bright red as McGonagall looked at her in shock   
“Miss Malfoy.”   
“Professor” she said, voice roughly two octaves too high “Fred was just- telling me a secret” she stuttered and Fred nodded affirmatively   
“I suppose I ought to remind you corridors are a rather bad place for that” she replied sternly before strutting off with a twinkle in her eyes.   
“Right.” she said and Fred snorted   
“Answer your question though?” he asked and she smirked   
“Not sure, I think we need to go over that again in private, don’t you think?”   
“Yea, I think I must agree” he smirked as she took his hand in hers and they ran through the corridors to the Hufflepuff common room. She explained on the way that the girls usually spend their Saturdays in the green houses or just outside of the dorm which came in quite handy when she thought about it now. 

As soon as she slammed the door shut he had her pressed against it, softly.  
“This ok?” he asked and she nodded breathlessly before his lips were on hers, much more fiercely this time and she was putty in his hands. His lips were all over her, kissing down her neck and biting down, a soft moan falling off of her lips.   
“You can do better than that” he whispered against her lips which send a shudder down her spine as he lifted her up and threw her onto her bed, gently.   
He knelt over her with his stapel smirk on his lips before kissing her again, painfully slow as he snuck one of his hands in her hair and tightened his grip, experimentally but enough for her to moan into the kiss which only encouraged him as he rested on his left forearm, hand still in her hair as he slid his right hand underneath the layers of her clothing. They were incredibly cold against her hot skin but she did not care and could all but shake at the hot trails his fingers were leaving behind. Without second guessing what she was doing she broke the kiss to tug his jumper off and carelessly threw it somewhere in the room, hands immediately running down his chest and resting, one on the nape of his back the other on his ass. 

“CASS” Hannah shrieked as she entered the room and stared at the scene before her, fred rolled sideways, sitting half way up, showing no shame whatsoever as Hannah blushed furiously.   
“Hannah” she replied plainly with a cocked eyebrow and a rather disappointed look on her face “I assumed you wouldn’t be back for a while” which was her way of politely saying she hoped Hannah would fuck off to where she came from.   
“I- “  
“Good for you” Cass said before drawing the curtains shut with the flick of her wand and looking at Fred who was grinning like an idiot before casting a quick silencing charm and the looked at her and flicking her arm 

“Well well, who could that have been?” Cedric asked curiously during dinner with a smirk on his lips as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice   
“Keep looking at me like that and I might think you want to add one” she joked which made him blush ever so slight before she added “That would have been Fred by the way”   
“Fred and his obsessions with Hickeys” Cedric snorted before looking like he wanted to clasp his hands over his mouth, having said too much   
“Oh dear, tell me more” she smirked as he blushed deeply as she smirked before she put another bit of the cheese and onion pasty into her mouth.   
“Maybe after dinner” he smirked which in turn made her blush, the implications hanging in the air thickly. 

Of course she quickly caught Fred’s sleeve after dinner and he smirked as he noticed she had purposefully left the top two buttons of her shirt undone, puting the hickey on full display.   
“Are we exclusive?” she asked in a hushed tone which made him snort   
“If you want- but you better tell Cedric and Angie” which made her chuckle   
“No, no worries just checking” she smirked before rushing off with Cedric. 

The older Hufflepuff was much more rough than she could have imagined in her dreams.   
“You gotta let me know what you’re ok with love” he whispered lowly and she could not respond other than a nod and not a second later his lips were on hers. It was teeth clashing and bruising, he bit her bottom lip and she gasped into the kiss which made him smirk.   
His hands were resting on her hips comfortably, that was until she buried her hands in his hair which apparently was a big no-no as with the flick of his wand her hands were pinned against the door above her head  
“This ok?” he asked and she produced an agreeing whimpering sound leaning forward to kiss him again. Her skin was hot all over. One of his wand was in her hair whilst the other was holding her hip as he continued kissing her until he did a thing that Cass very much enjoyed though she may have been reluctant to admit it. He, at the same time, tightened his hand in her hair as he bit a hickey into her neck, probably close to the one Fred had given her earlier just out of pure spite and fun of it. The sound she let out was somewhere between a whimper and broken moan and she could feel the heat raise in her cheeks at the rather involuntary sound though Cedirc merely looked amused before adding another hickey closer to her collar bone. One of his hands made its way under her shirt before spelling it of, causing it to land on one of the chairs, neatly folded and all she wanted was to take off his shirt too. It was pointless but she was tugging against the magical restraints which were holding her hands in response to which he carefully took her chin between his fingers and tilted her head up   
“Use your words princess” he purred   
“Take off your shirt” she replied breathlessly, all feelings of shame out of the window as he looked her up and down before taking a step back and sliding his shirt off, carelessly dropping it to the floor and she was mesmerized. He kissed her against and his skin on hers made her want to beg for more but she knew better than that. Or rather- she had too much pride to do so.   
“You know-” she smirked against his lips “Pansy could have me begging on my knees by now.”   
“Oh is that so?” he growled with a smirk when the door was opened   
“Come on” she groaned, as she felt the restraint on her wrists loosening “For real, Luca?” she asked the boy who had just walked in, looking rather unimpressed with the scene before him.   
“What’s it with everyone cockblocking me today” she huffed before grabbing her shirt from the chair which made the afro asian boy laugh an honest laugh, shaking the hair on his head with his body   
“Truly sorry” he snorted but obviously did not mean it  
“No, you’re not” she quipped back and he shrugged   
“No, I’m not” he eventually decided and Cedric just sighed as he put his own shirt back on   
“This was fun though” she told cedric before marching out of the room, very frustrated. 

“Do I look ok?” she asked as she turned to Hannah who herself looked breathtaking in a traditional light yellow dress with cap sleeves which reached down to the floor.   
“Darling, you could get with just about anyone you want tonight. You look stunning”   
She checked herself out in the mirror one last time. Her makeup was decent and opposing her usual goth/ punk style with eyeliner across the nose and underneath the eyes for the aesthetic. But that day she had kept it to a thin liner with wings sharp enough to stab a bitch, a light contour and blush with a subtle golden highlight. Light red eyeshadow with gold shimmer on her lid and a bold deep red lip (she had considered wearing a brighter red but decided against it out of spite) which matched the shade of the point where red transitioned into black in the dress. She wore a necklace Blaise had gotten her for christmas the previous year, a thin silver band with a hectagonal small black diamond which matched one of the rings she wore every day on her middle finger which were painted with black nailpolish. Her hair was kept in place with gel and looked purposefully tousled but in a classy and purposeful kind of way.   
“Alright, I don’t want to make him wait.” she breathed out carefully, gathering all her nerves before sending Hannah an assuring smile “You look absolutely dashing Hannah, have a good night” she smiled before staggering out of the common room straight into the arms of Fred.   
He looked like a five course meal in his dark blue robe with the light yellow vest, his hair openly falling onto his shoulders and his signature smirk on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty pretty please leave some feedback, comments and Kudos are my only form of validation

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you are going to enjoy this story and where it is going to go. I would really appreciate you leaving a review, comments and kudos are always appreciated.   
> Love, Parker


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